South Africa’s larger than life advertising for the World Cup
by Natalie Cooke
Whilst catching some Xmas sunshine it was really interesting to see how South Africa is preparing for the 2010 World Cup in particular in the many townships.
The FNB is the national bank of South Africa a major sponsor of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and in line with its sponsorship of the much-anticipated event, is transforming the skyline of several of the host cities. With some larger than life outdoor building wrap advertising campaigns in some of South Africas largest townships.
The most striking of these building wraps had to be the ones that I saw on my visit to Soweto – the largest township in South Africa. Here two of the four huge cooling towers, which belong to a currently decommissioned power station, carry FNB’s 2010 Fifa World Cup branding. The artworks are reproduced on canvas – about 12 800m2 of it – and the wraps weigh between 700 and 900kg each. Apparently the whole project took 12 000 litres of paint, and it took the team 720 hours each to complete their sections. Each tower is 60m high with a circumference of 120m at the bottom and 70m at the top.
Not only conventional, but also the more adventurous holidaymakers will visit the towers, because the Soweto towers have been transformed into a popular vertical adventure centre. The towers are a stones throw from the Orlando Stadium where the world cup opening ceremony will take place. They boast a 100m-high viewing platform at the top of the tower with a 360 degree view of Soweto. The platform leads to a power swing and a tandem swing, both of which allow thrill-seekers to plunge downwards for 40m and then swing between the two towers! I hate to admit it but im far too much of a wimp so I just stood below and watched!
The FNB wanted a mural that would depict slices of life in Soweto. Notable features, in much larger-than-life size, are Nelson Mandela, who lived in Soweto’s Vilakazi Street, famous singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the Madonna and child, which is a symbol of Soweto’s Catholic church, a football stadium, a female street seller selling her wares, the infamous taxis that only blacks can use, and many other iconic images of the bustling township.
The idea of these outdoor murals can be linked back to the apartheid years. Often the townships are completely left off any official maps and thus do not constitute proper localities still. Therefore the murals seem to be a way of people establishing their own communities and are a way, of marking out not only their territory but their identity too. There is a famous saying which someone has written on the wall right infront of the Orlando Stadium which really seems to fit with this idea “Freedom, I write your name; identity, I map out your contours”
My trip to South Africa was certainly a cultural eye opener, and it looks like they are really geared up to hosting an unforgettable 2010 World Cup. Lets just all cross our fingers that England do us proud too! Come on lads!
Tags: Advertising Campaign, Branding, Digital Agency, Event Advertising, Fifa World Cup, Internet Agency, Larger Than Life Advertising, Manchester Advertising Agency, Manchester Direct Marketing Agency, Nelson Mandela, PPC Agency, SEO Company, South Africa, Soweto, Sports Event Promotion, World Cup 2010, World Cup Advertising
